Regardless of what business you are currently in, I can guarantee you one thing. You rely on data on an hourly basis to run your business. This might be customer information, inventory numbers, market rates, or social feedback among other categories. It is endless, much like the data in today's world.
The digital universe is large and contains nearly as many digital bits as stars in the physical universe as of 2020. It is doubling in size every two years, and by 2022 the digital universe - the data we create and copy annually - will reach 88 zettabytes or 88 trillion gigabytes. This is a number that is hard to quantify and fathom.
The biggest challenge in all of this is that the data, databases, and data management systems are not the topmost priority in many organizations. Unfortunately, it is very normal for this to occur. Day-to-day operations tend to take priority over long-term strategy. As a result, things like database health, versions, and redundancy take a back seat.
I often ask clients to consider this question:
If your data disappeared tomorrow, what impact would this have on your business?
I recently had a discussion with a business leader who experienced a situation in which all of their databases and information were taken hostage by a cyber attack. With just a few shortcomings in their backup, retention, and security processes, the organization was crippled. They couldn't interact with their patrons, send bills to customers, or even process receivables or payroll. It was a disaster of the biggest proportions.
Thankfully, they found a way out of this situation. Unfortunately, it involved spending an enormous amount of money, and they learned the hard way how important it is to have updated data architecture with redundancy and failover.
Do you know the current state of your data environment? If you don’t, talk with your CIO, VP of IT, or IT Director to gain a better understanding.
You may find, like many other organizations, that you are running an older, unsupported database version. This can leave you with many security vulnerabilities. If you have a fragmented backup policy, you may be at risk of losing your ability to restore from a backup in the case of a disaster. Additionally, your databases may be unhealthy, running slowly, or living with deficiencies that are harboring a potential disaster down the road.
I would challenge you to make understanding your data environment a priority. The bottom line is, don't presume you are in a good spot, and take the time to identify where you can do better. The prospect of losing your data is a lot worse than the time it takes to invest in having a stable and confident data environment.
If you're ready to invest in your data environment, contact us to learn more.
